August 1
"Our suffering is laden with grace that can be released if we embrace [our] cross and unite our suffering to the Passion of Christ."
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The Son of Man
July 31
“He said in reply, ‘He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the Kingdom. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil.’”
Lately I’ve recognized that when I pray Night Prayer (as my last prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours each day), I rush through the actual examination of conscience and avoid looking over my day and my actions. I assume I haven’t done anything “bad” enough to justify actually pondering the last 24 hours, so I jump straight into the other prayers.
Here’s my first mistake: I’m rushed. And the goal for me of praying the Liturgy of the Hours is to formulate a lifestyle that revolves around prayer and not the other way around. So when it comes to Night Prayer? Y’all, I’m failing at it.
But there’s good news— I have a loving Father who is ready to meet me where I am and to sow something beautiful out of my, well, laziness. He is the sower of good seed...and if I let Him, I can become whatever He allows me to be.
Who are you allowing to sow the seeds in your life? It’s so easy to wash our hands of the things that seem small; but in reality, all the “small” things add up. And before we know it, we aren’t letting Him sow anymore.
Tonight, on this special Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, let’s honor him and do a simple examination of conscience. And see how large your faith grows as a result!
Rooted Out
July 31
"The sons and daughters of the Church must ask themselves a serious question: 'To what extent have [I] been shaped by the climate of secularism and ethical relativism? And what responsibility do [I] bear, in view of the increasing lack of religion, for not having shown the true face of God?'"
Faith
July 30
“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.”
This verse from the Gospel today makes me think of the beauty of life. We all start in the tiniest form and because of nurturing, we grow into the magnificent creatures we are! From the moment of our conception throughout our entire life, He has formed us day after day.
Isn’t that how our faith is supposed to be? Through His grace, we grow deeper and deeper in the supernatural virtue of faith and learn to trust more and more in our Father’s love.
God meets us where we are, and He transforms even the smallest of faith. Just like the gift of life, He takes us at our smallest and turns us into His greatest of creatures. Entrust Him with your littleness, wherever you are, and watch Him tend to you. You’ll be blooming in no time!
Ask, Seek, Knock
July 30
"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
-Matthew 7:7-8
The Hand of the Lord
July 29
“The eyes of all look hopefully to you, and you give them their food in due season; you open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”
Let’s break this apart.
We all look to Him. He gives, He provides. He satisfies. Hopeful. Due Season. Desires.
When we look to our Father, our heart must be hopeful that He can, and will, provide. Yet, it’s so easy to get impatient, worried, afraid... and we try and do it on our own. He provides for us in due season; this means He gives us what He wants us to have in His time... not ours.
Finally, our desires must be pure... they must be His desires for us.
When I stop and reread the above passage, I am reminded how good He is... how perfect His timing is... and how lovely the desires of my heart are when in line with His perfection.
My Father truly has, does, and will continue to provide all the needs and wants of my heart.
And He will do the same for you. Entrust this to Him. Have faith He will provide. And let go.
Thy Will Be Done
July 29Healing
July 28
"I want to know [Christ] and the power of his resurrection...if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead."
-Philippians 3:10-11
One Day in your Courts
July 28
“I had rather one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I had rather lie at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”
“No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, ‘First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
These are two of my favorite verses in Scripture (I know I say that a lot), and how perfectly do they go together!
Getting to spend one day with our Lord supersedes any day anywhere else; so how important is it that I make sure the garden of my heart is full of wheat... and not weeds! You see, what we do matters; who we are matters; how we treat others matters.
Our actions are a reflection of what we believe. If we truly believe He is who He says He is, then we are who He says we are— His people. Thus, our actions should reflect that.
Let’s keep in mind how beautiful our days with Him will be, because of how beautiful they currently are. And while we are at it, let’s live it!
Four Choices
July 27
Four choices:
A. The seed sown on the path B. The seed sown on rocky ground C. The seed sown among thorns D. The seed sown on rich soil
I remember reading this passage years ago and thinking I was for sure living as if I was the seed sown among rich soil; how could I not be?! And then God started to pull up the roots... and I realized I was no where near rich soil. And He replanted me.
Our lives are full of opportunities to explore where we are. Every day is a new opportunity to dig and replant. Looking at the root is so important. We cannot fully become all we were created to be if we are not planted deep in rich soil.
Reread the Gospel tonight, and ask our Lord where you are. Then, ask Him to uproot you, and plant you amongst the most fertile of soil. Then, watch Him water the garden of your soul. You’ll be blooming in no time!
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